Torchwood Dark Stranger
by MrData
Summary: Odd things start happening when something appears outside the Torchwood hub. Who is the dark stranger?
1. Chapter 1

Torchwood - Dark Stranger

Chapter one : The arrival.

Captain Jack Harkness leant back on the battered leather chair and rubbed his eyes. He had been staring at the small device on his desk for hours. It looked like a common remote control, but he could decipher the letters on the buttons or figure out exactly what it controlled. Nor could the rest of the Torchwood team. They had run all the usual tests but the device didn't output anything a Terran control output. So far they had ruled out radio waves, infra red, ultra violet and about three quarters of the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum. There were a few things it might be, like gravity waves or ESP waves, but they had no easy way to test for them.

Even the device's delivery had been a mystery. Ianto had answered the door to find no one there, just a brown paper wrapped package bound by string which looked decades old and a note saying 'When the time comes, you'll know what to do with it'. That was it. No name, no signature, nothing.

Jack picked the device up and turned it over. On the bottom was a small logo, which reminded Jack of the theoretical wormhole pictures that the Terran scientists like to draw. He just knew he'd seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't place it.

It had been a bad week for the group. First the rising number of Weevils emerging from the sewers and then Suzie flipping out like that. He needed time to think, to unwind.

"I think you need a break." said a voice, seemingly reading his thoughts. "Coffee?"

Jack lifted his head and was greeted by Gwen Cooper's smiling face. He returned the smile, but didn't really feel it. Frustration over the device on his desk, the Weevils and Suzie had got the better of him. He knew it was important, but he had no idea why.

"Maybe you're right." sighed Jack.

"Look, it might not be my place to say, but the others are really shook up about Suzie." Gwen reached out a hand but Jack pulled back before she could touch him.

He slowly stood and put the device on a shelf behind his desk. He took the steaming cup from Gwen and took a sip, the hot aroma filling his nostrils.

Gwen sighed and tried to change the subject. "The others are talking about going for a drink after work. Why don't you come with us?"

"Sorry Gwen, but I've got a few things to sort out here."

"Suit yourself. You really should get out more, you know."

"Thanks for the advice, but I'll be fine on my own."

After the others had left, Jack decided to get some fresh air. He had just closed the main door when one of the computer screens Owen had left on in his hurry to get to the pub flicked through the CCTV pictures. On one of the pictures, showing the area right next to the invisble elevator, a shape materilised. The shape wavered for a second, then sharpened into an exact scale model of the fountain next to it.

Jack was unaware of this strange happening right on Torchwood's doorstep. He had picked a building at random and was heading for it as fast as he could. He made his way to the top of the large white building and emerged onto the flat roof. He smiled, feeling the wind on his face, tugging gently at his overcoat. He breathed in deeply, letting the cool night air fill his lungs, refreshing him. Standing right on the edge of the roof, with a sheer drop of two hundred feet in front of him, he watched the city sleep.

After a few drinks and a lot of loud (Ianto thought possibly too loud) chats about the recent antics of the Torchwood team, they all said their farewells and headed for home.

Owen was first to get home as he got a taxi. He was shattered. All he wanted to do when he got in was have a shower and drop onto his bed. He had just stepped out of the shower, dripping with water and a blue towel wrapped around his waist, when the doorbell chimed. He sighed, not wanting to answer it, when it chimed again and again. He opened the door and was greeted by a dark shadow holding two pizza boxes.

"Here's your pizza." the figure said. "That'll be £10.50 please."

"There must be mistake - I didn't order a pizza." Owen told the figure.

"Oh. Probably a mistake in the shop. Would you like it anyway?"

"But I don't have any cash on me at the moment."

"Oh, I'm sure we could work something out..." said the figure, stepping past Owen into his flat. The door swung shut on it's own behind him.

The first thing Toshiko did when she got home was to check her email. The only one she had was for someone looking for a slave girl. It sounded too weird for her liking so she deleted it. She jumped when there was a knock at her door. A tall, muscular man greeted her with a smile.

"You erased my email!" he said with a heavy sound of disappointment in his voice.

"You're the pervert, are you? Is there any wonder why I deleted it?"

"Thought it might be a turn on for you." the man shrugged.

Toshiko noticed something about the man. The aftershave he was wearing wasn't very strong, but it had a feint musk odour to it. It seemed to be affecting her more than she wanted it to. Then she realised her breathing had become deeper, and she felt hot.

"Are you alright?" asked the man "You look a little off colour."

"I'm fine, not that's it's any of your business. Who are you anyway?" Toshiko snapped.

"All in good time. First, I have a couple of questions for you." He said, pushing her gently backwards so he could step through the doorway. Toshiko surprised herself by allowing him in, then surprised herself even more by jumping on him and pulling his clothes off.

Ianto, after dropping Gwen off at her house, drove back towards the Torchwood site. As he arrived, the first thing he noticed was the extra fountain, as he had to swerve to avoid running headlong into it.

"What the...?" He said as he jumped out of the car. He walked around the structure, noting that the water running down the sides seemed to just stop about an inch above the ground. Reaching out a hand, his fingers were just inches from the waterfall when he heard a noise behind him. Spinning around, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a man with dark hair before something heavy landed on his head and the world went black.

Gwen had gone straight to bed after she'd got in, exhausted. Her boyfriend mumbled something about she should have told him what time she was getting home, but she ignored him.

He couldn't ignore her though, when she woke up screaming about a tall dark man at 3.30 in the morning.

At exactly 3.35 am, Jack kicked Gwen's front door off it's hinges. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Who are you?"

"We're Torchwood." Jack replied. "Where is she? Don't make me repeat myself again."

"Upstairs."

"He just kept asking 'where is he?' over and over again." Sobbed Gwen, shaking in Jack's embrace. "I told him I didn't know who he was talking about but he wouldn't stop asking! 'Where is he? Where is he?"

"Where's who?" he asked her.

Gwen lifted her head and Jack saw the terror in her eyes. "The Doctor" she replied.

Jack grabbed the binoculars from his desk and sprinted back outside. Holding them up to his face, he studied the smaller fountain and gasped at what he saw. The fountain image was definitely a mirage - Jack saw a million images trying to be displayed at once.

"It's definitely a chameleon circuit." He told the others. "Which can only mean one thing. It's a TARDIS!"

"A TARDIS? You mean the Doctor, right?"


	2. Chapter 2

Torchwood - Dark Stranger

Chapter two : Divided we fall.

Gwen sat trembling in the passenger seat as Jack drove them back to the Torchwood hub.

"Who is the Doctor?" she asked.

"He's...an old friend. A very old friend." replied Jack, seeming deep in thought. Gwen could only catch glimpses of his face as it was lit up by the street lights they passed.

"Does he have any enemies?"

Jack let out a quiet laugh. "Lots, but I'm not sure why you should have had a dream about him."

Owen and Toshiko were outside when Jack and Gwen pulled up. Jack parked the SUV next to the new addition. It was a perfect replica of the larger fountain, but was about eight feet tall.

"Well, what is it?" Jack asked them.

"Er, well, we can tell you what its not." replied Owen, laying down a scanner that looked like a hairdryer. "It's not real water running down it."

"It seems to be a projection of some sort." Toshiko added.

"That's all?" asked Jack.

"Well, I suppose it could be something like the invisible elevator." said Owen.

Jack froze. "What?" he said quietly.

"I said, it could be something like...Jack?"

But Jack was already moving. He ran back to the car, grabbed a pair of binoculars from the glove box and sprinted back to the others. Holding them up to his face, he adjusted the focusing on them and held a pair of 3D glasses in front of the lenses. He studied the smaller fountain, turned the 3D glasses upside down and then gasped at what he saw. The fountain image was definitely a mirage - Jack saw a million images trying to be displayed at once - including a blue police call box.

"It's a chameleon circuit." He told the others. "Which can only mean one thing."

"You mean a TARDIS? You mean the Doctor, right?" said Owen, but was cut short by a stern look from Jack.

"Everybody inside." Jack ordered.

They packed the stuff up and went back inside the hub. Even before they got to the bottom of the elevator, they could see something had happened down there. Half the computers were smashed, files and documents were strewn everywhere.

"Someone was looking for something." said Jack. "Owen, see if you can find Ianto with the bio-tracker. Toshiko, find me the CCTV logs from last night. I want to know who or what did this."

The others got to work as Jack headed for his office, Gwen following. Jack's office was in the same state as it usually was, so it was hard to tell if the intruders had been in there or not.

Jack sat down on the old battered leather chair, which he had to set back on its worn castors first. Sighing he looked around. The only thing that had did not seem to have been disturbed was the shelf which held the severed hand, twitching in its bubbling liquid. Next to the hand's jar was the remote control device that had mysteriously turned up at the door.

Suddenly, a thought hit Jack so hard he nearly fell off his chair. How could he have missed it? Jumping up, he grabbed the remote control and ran back to Owen and Toshiko.

"Got anything yet?" Jack asked.

Toshiko, under her workstation, gave him a grunt. "Almost."

"I've got nothing from the tracker." reported Owen. "All the satellites can tell me is Ianto is on planet Earth. Maybe."

Jack smiled to himself. "Yeah, a chameleon circuit does things like that. Bet the military would love to get their hands on the technology."

"Got it." said Toshiko, sitting back on her chair. Her computer screens flickered and the pictures steadied to show the CCTV images of the hub. A darkly clad figure was moving systematically from one desk to the next, tipping things over and searching desks for something. Toshiko froze the picture and tried to zoom in on the man's face.

"I know that man. He...he seduced me last night." She said with surprise.

"Me too." Said Owen. The others turned to look at him. Turning bright red, he continued "Er, I mean I know him too. He delivered a Pizza to my apartment last night. He kept asking about the Doctor."

"He couldn't have been." said Toshiko, "We were...awake all night." Now it was her turn to blush under the gaze of the others.

"Shame we don't have a CCTV at your place!" laughed Owen. Toshiko glared at him.

"That's the man from my nightmare." Said Gwen quietly. Jack turned to her and saw she had turned very pale. She looked into his eyes and burst into tears, burying her face in his overcoat.

"Can you get the CCTV up for the night before, when Ianto found the package outside the main entrance?" Jack asked Toshiko.

"Yeah, I think so."

After a moment the picture on screen changed to a view of the main door. A large man dressed in an overcoat, a wide brimmed hat which hid his face and a long flowing scarf appeared, carefully placed a package on the doorstep and pressed the doorbell, then walked quickly away.

Jack smiled. There was only one person that could be. He was trying to send Jack a message, but what was it? He looked at the image of the fountain's replica on Tosh's screen. Making a decision, he held Gwen at arms length by her shoulders.

"You alright?" He asked. Receiving a nod, he turned to Tosh and Owen. "Arm yourselves well. I'm not sure what we may find. We already know the man in there seems to be able to be in several places at once."

They nodded and started collecting things they might need, including a few non-standard issue items from Torchwood's armory.

They assembled next to the elevator a few moments later, Owen weighed down with what looked like a small rocket launcher.

"Is that really necessary?" Asked Jack.

"Well, no maybe not." Said Owen, laying the weapon to one side and pulling out his pistol to check it.

Everyone checked their own weapons and nodded to Jack.

"Let's go." He said and stepped onto the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

Torchwood - Dark Stranger

Chapter three : Into the lion's den.

"I know this might be a stupid question," Said Owen, looking at the strange fountain, "but how do we open it? You gonna press a magic button on your watch like usual, Jack?"

"Wouldn't work for something like this. We use a key, of course." Said Jack, smiling. He reached inside his overcoat an pulled out the remote control. Pointing it at the fountain, he tried pressing some of the buttons.

After a moment of nothing happening, Owen let out a loud sigh. "Shall I go get the rocket launcher?"

Jack gave him a nasty look as he tried another button. There was a loud click, as if a huge door had been unlocked, and one side of the fountain folded in on itself. The group stared at the corridor inside, which seemed to be much longer than the fountain's exterior.

Owen leaned to one side and looked around the side of the fountain. "Neat!"

"Let's find Ianto." Said Jack, stepping into the doorway and drawing his pistol. The others did likewise. "Be careful in there."

The corridor was about two metres long and walled with what looked like dark gray marble. It opened out into a large hexagonal room, several metres wide and made of the same dark marble walls. More corridors led away from the centre of each wall of the room. In the very centre of the room stood some kind of control panel. It was about two metres wide and had several displays and keyboards which seemed to be in various different languages. In the centre of the console towered a clear tube which stretched two metres toward the high ceiling. The only light in the room was emanating from a kind of piston filled with lights moving slowly up and down within the tube.

"What is this?" Gwen asked Jack.

"It's a TARDIS." Replied Jack. "But it's got a bit more style than the last one I was in."

They used their flashlights on each corridor, but could not see more than a few metres along any of them.

"Ok." Said Jack. "Tosh and Owen, you take the first corridor on the left. Gwen and I will take the first on the right. Meet back here in ten minutes. Let's go."

They moved out of the room, using their flashlights and keeping their guns trained on the darkness ahead, not knowing what might jump out at them.

After about twenty metres, Jack and Gwen found a door in the side of their corridor. It looked oddly out of place in the marble wall, as it was made of thick oak panels. It reminded Gwen of the kind found in old manor houses she had visited as a child.

Jack nodded at the door. Preparing himself, he nodded again and Gwen turned the handle and kicked the door open. They both rushed through, Gwen behind unconsciously using Jack as cover.

They found themselves in what could have been one of the old manor house Gwen had been thinking of. Oak panels lined the walls, a huge stone fireplace in the centre of one wall held a roaring fire and the furniture was either oak or a deep red leather.

Exchanging glances, they shrugged to one another.

"Please, do come in." said a voice. Gwen's spine tingled. That was the voice from her dream.

The corridor that Owen and Tosh had been searching ended with a large metal door, reminiscent of something you'd find in a submarine. To the left of the door was a keypad, with a dozen buttons on it. The text was obviously not of Earth origin.

"Can you do anything with this?" Asked Owen.

"I'll see what I can do." Said Tosh, digging a device from her rucksack. Owen kept lookout as she placed the device against the keypad and pressed a button. Tosh then pulled out her laptop and pressed the device against the side of the screen. Pages of strange looking text scrolled up the screen.

"It'll take the machine a minute or two to translate it." She said.

"Any idea what language it's in?"

"No idea at all, but if any of the Torchwood sites know it, my laptop should decipher it." She replied proudly. The machine beeped and displayed a message on the screen. "Of course! It's from Gallifrey! The home planet of the Timelords! Should have guessed really. I just need to find an access code in the program."

As Tosh concentrated, Owen shone his torch along the corridor. Further down the corridor they had been exploring, there was a feint light coming from a room at the end of the passage. Walking slowly towards it, he caught his breath as he realised what he was seeing. Turning around, he saw Tosh crouched against the wall next to the door with her laptop on her knee. Further down the corridor past her, he saw the same dim glow that was behind him. This isn't happening, he thought to himself. Searching in his rucksack, he found what he thought was a non-essential item; a small tin of baked beans. With every ounce he could muster, he hurled the tin towards the dim light in front of him. He listened as the tin hit the floor and began rolling along. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he realised that the noise of the rolling tin was no longer coming from in front of him, but behind him. He jumped as the tin hit the back of his foot.

"Owen, will you stop throwing things about? I'm trying to concentrate here!"

"Tosh, this place is too weird! It seems to be a maze that bends back on itself! You cracked the code yet?"

"Nearly. Keep your hair on." She replied, then jumped. "Got it!"

Studying the keypad, she glanced at the laptop's screen and tapped a few keys. There was a loud hiss of air, and the door swung slowly open, creaking loudly as it did so.

They peered inside the room. Ianto was strapped to a metal and wood chair, similar to the kind dentists use. His face was bruised and his usually immaculate black suit was hanging off his thin frame. After a quick examination, Owen announced that he had two broken fingers, a broken arm and at least two broken ribs. The most shocking thing was his face. The hair from his beard was halfway down his chest.

The owner of the voice was sitting in a high-backed leather armchair in front of the fire. Jack and Gwen slowly circled the room, keeping their guns aimed at the chair. A tall man with dark hair came into view, and smiled pleasantly at them.

"Who are you?" demanded Jack.

"I," said the man with a wider smile, "am the Master."

"Master of what?" asked Gwen.

"Why, of everything!"

"Master of the universe?" said Jack. "Sorry, but He-Man had a better physique."

"Very amusing Jack." The Master replied.

"How do you know my name?" Jack demanded.

The Master let out a disturbing laugh. "I probably know more about you than you do, Jack Harkness! Definitely more than you know about him, Gwen." Gwen shuddered at the sound of her name. "Your mind is a bit messed up, Gwen."

"And you're normal?" Snapped Gwen. Jack prepared to grab her if she tried to pounce at the man.

"You know, you didn't have to just barge in here. If you wanted your friend back, all you had to do was ask."

"And you'd have just handed him back?" said Jack.

"Why, yes. I'm sure we could have had some kind of exchange."

"Ianto for the Doctor? No deal." Replied Jack.

Gwen had to fight back the urge to smile at the comment.

"Come now Jack," Said the Master, rising and stepping closer to the roaring fire. "I can offer you other things, not just your friend returned."

"Like what?"

"Like answers. You want to know what you did in those two years that you can't remember about? You want to know exactly what the rift under this place really is? In fact, I could use my TARDIS to close the rift for you. And, on top of all that, you know what lies underneath the control console of a TARDIS, don't you Jack? I could give you what you want most of all!"

Jack laughed nervously. "And what do I want most of all?"

The Master smiled an evil smile. Leaning toward Jack, he dropped his voice to a whisper. "Mortality."


	4. Chapter 4

Torchwood - Dark Stranger

Chapter four : Dilemma

Jack lowered his pistol slowly to his side.

"That's right Jack." Said the Master. "Trust me. I can help you."

Gwen stared at Jack but kept her own gun aimed at the Master's head. "Jack?" she said, her voice trembling.

Jack turned slowly toward her, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Jack, don't listen to him." she said. "He's lying. He'll say anything you want to hear. He just wants the Doctor."

"No, Gwen." said Jack, raising his weapon again. "Drop the gun."

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" she snapped at him as he aimed his pistol at her face.

Gwen in turn spun and aimed her gun at Jack. "Jack, stop this."

"Come on, Gwen." Jack laughed. "You know who'll come off worst if we both fire. Drop the gun."

"No Jack. Fight it. He's in your head, like he was in mine. Fight it."

"I can't. I won't." said Jack, shrugging. "He's going to give me what I want."

"No he's not!" Gwen said, he voice becoming agitated. "He's going to get the Doctor and then kill you."

"That's not true." Jack replied, glancing towards the Master. His Master.

"Tell me where the Doctor is." Said the Master in a quiet voice.

Jack opened his mouth to answer but Gwen cut him off. "He's not here!" she said, not taking her eyes off the barrel of Jack's pistol. "He's far away from here."

"You lie!" snapped the Master. "I have detected energy signatures from his TARDIS, and bio traces from him. He is here!"

"He's not here!" shouted Gwen. "Tell him Jack!"

"She's...right." Jack sighed. "He's been here, but he's gone. But..."

"Yes?" demanded the Master.

"I can help you find him."

"Jack, no!" pleaded Gwen.

"Silence!" bellowed the Master, waving his hand in the air. Gwen felt as though an invisible brick wall had rushed across the room and hit her in the face. She tumbled backwards, falling over a coffee table and landing in a heap on the floor.

"Now Jack, let's get down to business, shall we?"

Jack looked down at Gwen's motionless body, and smiled.

"What the hell is going on here?" Asked Owen angrily. "He looks like he's been here months!"

"If Jack is right, then we're inside a time machine. Who knows what this thing is capable of?"

They released the unconscious body of Ianto and half carried, half dragged him to the doorway, then stopped dead. When they had entered the room, the door had been halfway down a corridor. Now the doorway was at the very end of a corridor. About ten metres ahead of them was a junction, where another corridor crossed over. They slowly dragged Ianto towards it.

Stopping in the middle of the junction, they peered down each corridor in turn, not seeing anything that might help. Owen glanced down the way they had just walked. The doorway had vanished. An identical junction to the one they were standing in was in its place.

"How do you navigate a maze that keeps changing?" Owen thought out loud.

"By getting some help." Replied Tosh, tapping her ear piece. After a couple of tries she gave up. There was no signal whatsoever.

They sat down, leaning against the wall, with Ianto between them.

"What now?" Asked Owen. "What are we supposed to do now?"

After a few moments he stood up and walked toward the nearest junction. Turning slowly, he looked down each corridor. The third passage had a very feint light at the end of it.

"Hey Tosh!" He called, "I can see a light along there!"

When there was no reply, he turned back to Tosh. The corridor was empty. Spinning until he got dizzy, Owen turned to face each passageway again. Each one looked liked the previous. Then the floor disappeared and he fell into the darkness below.

Tosh looked up. She was certain that she had heard Owen's voice, but couldn't see him anywhere. She peered down several corridors nearby, being careful not to lose Ianto's position, but could not see anything. The last passageway she looked down had a very feint light at the end of it. Dragging Ianto along the corridor, she headed for the light.

Owen landed heavily on something very hard. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to find himself sat on the pavement with the Master's TARDIS in front of him.

Standing up, he walked around the TARDIS, but the doorway was firmly closed.

"Spit me out, will you?" He shouted, kicking the side of the fountain image. He turned and headed back to Torchwood.

"Tell me where I can find the Doctor." demanded the Master.

"Why do you need to find him?"

"Like you, I have some...unfinished business with him."

"Let the others go first." Said Jack.

"Why?" queried the Master. "Why do you care about them so much? You could be a god to them. You're immortal Jack! You could do anything you want!"

"I care...because I have to." replied Jack slowly. "This time is ancient history to me. If this time falls, then I may cease to be."

"I could guarantee this time's safety." smiled the Master. "All you have to do is help me."

"What will happen to her?" Jack asked, tilting his head towards Gwen.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to kill her. Well, not yet anyway. She may be of use to me."

Jack opened his mouth to speak but was suddenly thrown sideways by the floor lurching violently. He saw the oak paneling rushing towards him just before everything went black.

Outside, Owen stood in front of the TARDIS and aimed the rocket launcher at it, ready to take another shot.

"Open the door!" he shouted, letting another small rocket loose from the launcher, hitting the fountain in the centre of the nearest side. Laughing, he lowered the weapon to reload.

Tosh stumbled into the TARDIS's main control room and fought her way to the console, still dragging Ianto behind her. She sat him down next to what she thought was the entrance and walked back to the console unit. Searching the controls, she looked for one that might be of use. Using what she knew of Ganymede's language, she tried a coupled of switches. She smiled when the sun shone in through the main door, but then quickly dived for cover when she saw the small rocket heading towards her. The rocket hit the console, which exploded in a large shower of multi-coloured sparks.

Tosh looked in horror as the lights in the clear tube began to slowly move.


	5. Chapter 5

Torchwood - Dark Stranger

Chapter five :

Gwen opened her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurred, and she guessed she must have a concussion or something. Through the haze she could see the Master still standing next to the fire, with a worried look on his face. He seemed to be concerned with a kind of intermittent whooping sound coming from everywhere at once. The noise was increasing by the second. Lifting her head, she saw Jack laid nearby, blood dripping from his forehead.

The Master left the room via the thick oak door as the floor shook. Reaching out her arm, she grabbed her gun and pointed it at Jack's head.

"Jack?" She asked.

Jack responded by opening his eyes and smiling at her. "It's alright." he whispered. "The Master was inside my head, as you said, but his attention seems to be elsewhere at the moment. Are you hurt?"

"I'm a little dizzy, but I'll live." She smiled back.

"Come on, let's kick a timelord's butt!" He laughed, jumping to his feet. The drips of blood from his forehead had all but disappeared.

Helping Gwen along, they crept quietly through the oak door and along the corridor towards the control room.

"Tosh!" cried Owen over the noise from within the TARDIS. "Come on!"

Tosh grabbed Ianto and dragged him towards the doorway, then a few metres across the pavement outside.

"Where's Jack and Gwen?"

"I don't know! I've not seen anyone since you did your disappearing act!"

"This stupid TARDIS thing spat me out onto the pavement!"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" came a voice from the doorway.

They both looked round to see a tall man standing just inside the doorway.

"What have you done to my TARDIS, you Neanderthal? I'll kill you!"

"I'll say what happens to my team!" snapped Jack behind the Master.

Spinning around, the Master raised his arm and stretched a hand out towards Jack's head. Jack dropped to his knees and held his temple as the pain threatened to tear his head in two.

Gwen raised her gun and fired two shots into the Masters chest. He stumbled back a second, but then took a deep breath and aimed his hand at her instead. Her brain felt as though it were inflating, ready to burst from her skull. She screamed, dropping to the floor.

Jack dug in his coat and pulled out a small box. Aiming it at the Master, he pressed a button on the device and an arc of electricity jump from his hand and hit the Master in the chest. He dropped like a stone, sprawled in the doorway.

Grabbing Gwen by the arm, Jack lifted her easily and carried her past the Master and through the doorway. Almost to safety, he was jerked backwards. Dropping Gwen and small device, he looked around to see the Master had hold of Gwen's leg.

"A cardiovascular shocker?" laughed the Master, picking up the device with his free hand. "Where did you get this? Pity for you they don't work on people with two hearts! They do work very well on humans though!"

He aimed the box at Jack and fired an arc of electricity at Jack. Jack braced himself against the blow, but was still knocked onto his back. As soon as he stopped falling he was climbing back to his feet, much to the amazement of the Master.

"What?" he said in bewilderment.

"They work on normal humans better!" laughed Jack. "Here's something that works on just about anyone." and with that he dived forward and punched him on the chin.

The Master fell backwards into the doorway, still holding on to Gwen's ankle as if it were a lifeline. Jack reached into his coat again and pulled out the remote control. The Master's eyes widened as he realised what Jack had in mind.

Pointing the box at the TARDIS, he pressed the largest button. The whooping noise grew louder and the TARDIS started to disappear, with the Master hanging halfway out of the door. His screams echoed off nearby buildings as his face faded away.

Jack helped Gwen to her feet. "Close shave, eh?" he said, nodding towards her feet. Gwen looked down. The heel and sole of her left boot had vanished.

They stood a moment looking at the charred square on the pavement where the TARDIS had stood.

"Jack," said Gwen quietly. "That stuff the Master said about helping you and closing the rift. Could he do any of it?"

Jack let out a sigh. "No idea." he shrugged. "But if he did close the rift, we'd be out of a job!"

Gwen smiled. "There's just one other thing I'd like to know. You wouldn't really have shot me in there, would you? Does finding the Doctor mean that much?"

Jack looked at her, and the single tear that welled in his eye told her his answer.

"Come on, we have work to do."

They got Ianto down to Owen's medical table and checked him over. Apart from the broken bones he was going to be fine. After a while he regained consciousness. He was more than a little surprised to find he had a beard.

"Anyone got a razor?" he asked in a feint voice.

Jack smiled. "Let me help you with that."

A few days later, early in the morning, a shadow walked up to the charred square on the pavement underneath a tall water feature in Cardiff bay. The figure paused a moment, looking at the ground, then slowly walked away to merge into the other shadows hugging the buildings.

The End.

To be continued in 'The Dark Companion'.


End file.
